Technology is a part of our everyday life so much so that it has impacted the way students learn and explore the world. If implemented correctly, technology can make education more significant and meaningful to students. Below are research articles in which studies show support, with pros and cons, for BYOD and F/OSS implementation in schools. Common topics discussed in the articles include: increased student achievement, affordability, and increased student collaboration.
Research in the article entitled “Examining the Influence of a Mobile Learning Intervention on Third Grade Math Achievement” was conducted by a team of three employed by the Oconomowoc School District in Wisconsin (Kiger, Herro, & Prunty, 2012). The study was conducted with two third-grade intact classrooms (46 students, 2 teachers) that used the Everyday Mathematics-University of Chicago Mathematics project (EM) and daily practice using flashcards to learn multiplication while the other intact classroom (41 students, 2 teachers) coupled EM with Mobile Learning Intervention (MLI) and daily practice using iPod touch devices loaded with selected math apps (Kiger et al., 2012). All participating students and teachers completed a pre-intervention survey to identify and control for pre-existing group differences (Kiger et al., 2012). Other pre-intervention data pertaining to test scores and grades, as well as school attendance records, were collected. The research team equipped the iPod touch device with the following math apps: Multiplication Genius Lite, Mad Math Lite, Pop Math, Flash to Pass, Math Drills Lite, Math Tappers: Multiples, Multiplication Flashcards to Go, Brain Thaw, Math Magic, and FlowMath (Kiger et al., 2012). The MLI students used the iPod touch devices and math apps to practice each day during a 10-minute period as directed by the teacher, sometimes focusing on a specific multiplication table (Kiger et al., 2012). The comparison group of students practiced multiplication for 10 minutes each day using flash cards, math games, fact triangles, and number sequences (Kiger et al., 2012).
Results from the pre-intervention survey indicate students’ home technology environments were similar (Kiger et al., 2012). The participating teachers shared similar teaching experience and teaching styles, and years of experience (Kiger et al., 2012). Using a 10 minute, 100-item post-intervention paper and pencil multiplication test was administered in a group setting under standardized conditions (Kiger et al., 2012). Students had taken a similar timed, paper-and pencil 50-item multiplication pre-test. Students were advised not to worry if they do not finish the test. The post-test was used as the measure of the outcome in this experiment and was found to criterion-related valid. On average, the MLI students answered more items correctly on the post-test (M = 54.5, SD = 14.8) than the Comparison students (M = 46.3, SC = 12.5) (Kiger et al., 2012). Participating in the MLI group was the most influential factor of test performance as well as the student’s math-related effort/attitude grade was also an influential predictor of test ability (Kiger et al., 2012). The post test was repeated again showing that the MLI students answered a greater number of problems (M = 11.6, SD = 4.9) with the Comparison students (M = 8.2, SD = 4.4) (Kiger et al., 2012).
Another study that supports BYOD was written by David Parsons (2012). For two years, Massey University researchers have been involved with a New Zealand school and their project to integrate 1-to-1 digital devices into a ninth grade classroom (Parsons, 2012). Students are between the ages of 13 and 14. This was the first year that the school required the parents provide the iPad2 device for their child’s school use. The BYOD concept has grown from its initial stages to widespread in education over a short period of time (Parsons, 2012). Thirty-five percent (35.2% to be exact) of secondary schools, 20% of intermediate schools and 6.9% of primary schools already have a BYOD policy (Parsons, 2012). Investments for this project were made in network equipment and infrastructure, professional development, and management software systems. The school adopted Puentedura’s model of substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition (SAMR). This model has four phases in the use of technology: direct tool replacement, augmentation, transformation, and redefinition. Each stage moves progressively through the learning process. According to Parsons (2012), the BYOD policy enables a move to a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning (Parsons, 2012). While the devices are used across multiple subject areas, there are ways in which teachers have tailored the device for use in their specific subject area content. Math games are used for learning in math while Mind mapping tools have proven useful in both drama and English classes, and in physical education the devices are used for analysis of physical performance (Parsons, 2012). Reports from teachers confirm that student collaboration is easier and staff collaboration more relevant and useful (Parsons, 2012).
An article written by Nathan Evans (2014) entitled “To BYOD or not to BYOD” discusses how keeping pace with unprecedented levels of technological advancement is one of the greatest challenges that schools face now. With so many students owning personal devices and being so accustomed to accessing those devices for information, it is almost un-natural to ask them to accept traditional school resources. Keeping the school’s technology upgraded is very expensive so BYOD implementation is a way to address this issue. Not having to maintain or support hardware will certainly reduce the school’s expenses. Another advantage of BYOD implementation does not have to deal with banning personal devices in the school.
Support for F/OSS More and more schools are using F/OSS with administrative staff, teachers, as well as in the classroom due to limited budgets and cutbacks in school districts across the U. S. The F/OSS that was selected for this study by James Vajda and Jason Abbitt (2011) is OpenOffice suite. This type of software can be downloaded, distributed, shared, modified, and redistributed without licensing or other costs for obtaining, installing, or using the software (Vajda & Abbitt, 2011). This software is very similar to Microsoft Office in performance and capabilities, and it is compatible with multiple operating systems includes Windows, Mac OSC, and Linux (Vajda et al., 2011). This mixed method study is an evaluation of a pilot implementation of OpenOffice with a K-12 school district in Ohio (Vajda et al., 2011). The decision to implement OpenOffice would depend upon the results of the study. Participants in the study were volunteers who included six high school teachers, two middle school teachers, and nine elementary school teachers (Vajda et al., 2011). Over a four-week period, 11 of the original 17 participants completed the study in the trial period (Vajda et al., 2011). All data for the study was submitted and approved by the Institutional Review Board. Before the participants began using OpenOffice, they completed a Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ). There were two voluntary training sessions offered to the participants with only two participants attending. After using OpenOffice for week one and week four, participants completed another survey. Interviews with participants were also conducted individually. Due to the small sample size of the study, analysis of the quantitative data was inadequate and limited to descriptive statistics and nonparametric deducible analyses (Vajda et al., 2011). Interview results and the open-ended questions were examined using content analysis methods to reveal common themes during the interviews. Seven participants thought that tasks performance of OpenOffice was equivalent to Microsoft Office. Two users of OpenOffice had a negative opinion of the software. Regarding Quality of Interface, an analysis using Mann-Whitney U test found no significant differences between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice (Vajda et al., 2011). Overall usability of Microsoft Office and OpenOffice was analyzed using the Mann-Witney U test which found no significant difference in the software. Interview responses revealed that OpenOffice on PowerPC-based Apple computers were very slow starting up (Vajda et al., 2011). Two more problems were revealed during the interview: (a) interactive use with whiteboard did not perform well with OpenOffice presentation application, and (b) Clipart gallery was not as extensive on OpenOffice as was with Microsoft Office (Vajda et al., 2011). In the end, the conclusion was that OpenOffice would be accepted as a replacement for Microsoft Office. The issue with a slow start up for OpenOffice was ultimately the result of an older PowerPC computer with an older version of Java. The startup issue was resolved on the newer Intel-based Apple and Windows-based computers. Schools contemplating using OpenOffice would benefit from examining their support structure. Most F/OSS does not have the online support system in place as the typical commercial software. The small study was intentional for this school district and meant to not interrupt ongoing school-related activities and functions; however, the same problems using OpenOffice would be expected to occur in a larger study.
An article written by John Waters (2010) discusses how F/OSS helped a school district near Seattle, WA, save thousands of dollars that they then turned around and spent on professional development for their teachers. The Apache web server is a software program that works with web pages and web browser. It is very popular with school districts. Moodle is another OSS that has been integrated into schools. Moodle is a replacement for Blackboard and with its popularity and successful implementation has led school districts to look at using more OSS. Audacity (free audio recorder and editor) is popular with students to record podcasts and student speeches, promote language learning, add sounds to presentations, and create soundtracks for animations (Waters, 2010). Other apps that are recommended in educational software are: GeoGebra, Stellariu, iTalc, GIMP, FreeMind, and Zimbra (Waters, 2010). Michigan City Area Schools in Michigan City, IN, opened two new elementary schools and loaded classrooms with OSS (Waters, 2010). According to their IT director, 95% of the software used in the two schools is OSS (Waters, 2010). According to the article, OpenOffice is used in many school districts across the country saving money for each district.
Pros to using 1-to-1 in a learning environment The article by David Parsons (2012) that researched the project to integrate 1-to-1 devices into the 9th grade classroom extended into 2013 resulting in the project to including all grades. Parsons (2012) stated that in addition to the transformations of classroom practice, there are evolutionary changes in the ways that learning spaces may be utilized. The BYOD implementation makes it possible to move toward a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning. The use of the 1-to-1 digital device can be used in any subject area. For example, in science class, photos of various stages of experiments can be easily uploaded to for added visual images to enhance a report or study. Across the curriculum, collaboration, digital skills, and information literacy are common themes of integrating one-to-one devices (Parsons, 2012, p. 3). According to Parsons (2012), these lessons and activities are transformative, enhancing the learning process.
According to the article entitled “BYOD Strategies” (2012), the tech staff at New Canaan Public Schools knew that students would bring in their cell phones, so they created an open environment to support that. In 2011, 35% of the students used their own devices and by 2012, the percentage was up to 45%. Some of the discussion in the school is about equity for all students and are against BYOD programs. However, this school has seen a positive relationship for the special education students that have assistive devices. Now the special education students do not feel like they are singled since other students are now bringing in their devices.
Challenges to using 1-to-1 in a learning environment In an article written by Michael Grant and Michael Barbour (2013), they describe two projects to integrate mobile teaching and learning into K-12 schooling. The two projects discussed are consideration for the increased use of mobile devices in schools and the growth of K-12 online learning. More relevant to this paper, they discuss challenges of integrating mobile learning in K-12. Many administrators see these devices as potential problems that may overshadow their usefulness as an educational tool. One of the expressed concerns was that school districts are reluctant to implementing BYOD programs due to regulations associated with the internet and the protection of children, because smart phones and cell phones may use cell networks that could bypass the school’s network (Grant & Barbour, 2013). The second project discussed in the article discussed using iPads along with BYOD in a chemistry classroom. The apps (3D Cell, VCell, Mobl21) used for this lesson discussed in the article were loaded on the iPads as well as the personal devices that students brought into the class. The teacher began the class using mLCMS Mobl2 while demonstrating the lesson using QR Reference and a document camera to project his iPad screen to the class (Grant et al., 2012). The students completed several activities and finally a quiz using their devices and preloaded apps. Both teacher and students felt that the integration of the devices was successful due to the engagement of the students during the lessons. “The teacher felt the potential use of the iPad as a classroom device was limited at present” (Grant et al., 2013, p. 3). The teacher expressed concern over the cost and care of the iPads by the students. The largest concern about the potential use of these devices was ensuring a 1-to-1 student-to-device ratio (Grant et al., 2012). All of the teachers in this pilot study project felt without this student ratio, the probable success of the integration of these devices would be limited.
Pros to using F/OSS in a learning environment The article entitled “Blending Student Technology Experiences in Formal and Informal Learning,” the authors discuss the significance of identifying students’ technology-enhanced informal learning experiences and expand instruction to connect students’ formal and informal learning experiences, in order to meet the demands of the knowledge society (Lai, Khaddage & Knezek, 2013). The Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning model (MBCL) is proposed as a model to bridge the gap (Lai et al., 2013). Using three tools of mobile applications can enhance collaboration, coordination and communication to provide for valuable learning methods in the classroom. Below, Lai et al. propose the MCBL model as a step towards conceiving the use of mobile applications to connect the weakness of the formal learning pedagogies with the strengths of the informal learning pedagogies and vice versa. F/OSS provides applications that allow these technologies to open up new ways for students to learn. Applications for collaboration (such as Google Docs) can be used for sharing documents and files among students and teachers both in class and outside normal class hours (Lai et al., 2013). Applications for classroom management and announcements (such as Twitter) can be used to notify students regarding class assignments. Applications for building community-based learning activities (such as Facebook or Google+) can be used for communications, discussions, and sharing among students outside the normal classroom setting. According to Lai et al., in order for this connection between formal and informal learning, there are infrastructural issues that need to be addressed, instigating a 1-to-1 computing initiative or BYOD model adopted.
Figure 1 Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning model
Figure 1. The model represents how mobile apps are being used. Challenges with using F/OSS in a learning environment “Tim Goree, director of technology services for Norris School District, Bakersfield, CA, estimated that it takes at least three years for a school district to become a "self-supporting open source IT department," even with help from an outside firm” (Wanchek, 2010, p. 1). The district was currently using Macs. In preparation for a transition to OSS, his first decision was to start using Zimbra for email services. Goree proposed putting $300 Linux-based computers instead of the more costly Macs based on a teacher survey and the programs they currently used. At the time the survey was conducted, teachers were using their computers for Web/Internet applications, light word processing and presentations (Wanchek, 2010). One-hundred five student computers were purchased for the new schools. As more schools needed new computers, Goree continued purchasing a version of the Linux. However, for the teachers and computer labs, the district continued to purchase Macs that were high-end systems to use for video or photo editing. The challenge with the Linux system was the lower processing speeds which limited their use of OSS. The school did transition to OpenOffice because the Linux system does not work with Microsoft Office. After a few more projects with Revolution Linux, Goree says that he expects that his will be an "open source shop" that can implement OSS projects without outside assistance (Wanchek, 2010). The district is comprised of 3500 students with a total of five schools in K–8.
Two other school districts, one in San Antonio and one in Michigan City Schools in Indiana, converted to Open Source. Both districts agree that there were savings for their school districts. However, one issue in San Antonio was two programs they wanted to integrate, B2evolution and WordPress, did not take off, partly owing to account management with 3,000 teachers and 54,000 students (Wancheck, 2010). "We let these initiatives die because of support issues. If they had become popular, it would be overwhelming for a small staff”(Wancheck, 2010, p. 4). The Michigan City School district states that they are saving about $100,000 annually on licensing and they saved about $100,000 in hardware purchases. The IT director, Kevin McGuire, said that he realized he needed to purchase desktops for under $300 for their desired 1-to-1 initiative. The district hired Revolution Linux to change the infrastructure to Open Source. Since there is little support with OSS, the teachers have to learn the new software as they go. Also, two of the programs they had used, Scholastic Read 180 and Scientific Learning Fast ForWord, would not work on the Linux system.
Research in the article entitled “Examining the Influence of a Mobile Learning Intervention on Third Grade Math Achievement” was conducted by a team of three employed by the Oconomowoc School District in Wisconsin (Kiger, Herro, & Prunty, 2012). The study was conducted with two third-grade intact classrooms (46 students, 2 teachers) that used the Everyday Mathematics-University of Chicago Mathematics project (EM) and daily practice using flashcards to learn multiplication while the other intact classroom (41 students, 2 teachers) coupled EM with Mobile Learning Intervention (MLI) and daily practice using iPod touch devices loaded with selected math apps (Kiger et al., 2012). All participating students and teachers completed a pre-intervention survey to identify and control for pre-existing group differences (Kiger et al., 2012). Other pre-intervention data pertaining to test scores and grades, as well as school attendance records, were collected. The research team equipped the iPod touch device with the following math apps: Multiplication Genius Lite, Mad Math Lite, Pop Math, Flash to Pass, Math Drills Lite, Math Tappers: Multiples, Multiplication Flashcards to Go, Brain Thaw, Math Magic, and FlowMath (Kiger et al., 2012). The MLI students used the iPod touch devices and math apps to practice each day during a 10-minute period as directed by the teacher, sometimes focusing on a specific multiplication table (Kiger et al., 2012). The comparison group of students practiced multiplication for 10 minutes each day using flash cards, math games, fact triangles, and number sequences (Kiger et al., 2012).
Results from the pre-intervention survey indicate students’ home technology environments were similar (Kiger et al., 2012). The participating teachers shared similar teaching experience and teaching styles, and years of experience (Kiger et al., 2012). Using a 10 minute, 100-item post-intervention paper and pencil multiplication test was administered in a group setting under standardized conditions (Kiger et al., 2012). Students had taken a similar timed, paper-and pencil 50-item multiplication pre-test. Students were advised not to worry if they do not finish the test. The post-test was used as the measure of the outcome in this experiment and was found to criterion-related valid. On average, the MLI students answered more items correctly on the post-test (M = 54.5, SD = 14.8) than the Comparison students (M = 46.3, SC = 12.5) (Kiger et al., 2012). Participating in the MLI group was the most influential factor of test performance as well as the student’s math-related effort/attitude grade was also an influential predictor of test ability (Kiger et al., 2012). The post test was repeated again showing that the MLI students answered a greater number of problems (M = 11.6, SD = 4.9) with the Comparison students (M = 8.2, SD = 4.4) (Kiger et al., 2012).
Another study that supports BYOD was written by David Parsons (2012). For two years, Massey University researchers have been involved with a New Zealand school and their project to integrate 1-to-1 digital devices into a ninth grade classroom (Parsons, 2012). Students are between the ages of 13 and 14. This was the first year that the school required the parents provide the iPad2 device for their child’s school use. The BYOD concept has grown from its initial stages to widespread in education over a short period of time (Parsons, 2012). Thirty-five percent (35.2% to be exact) of secondary schools, 20% of intermediate schools and 6.9% of primary schools already have a BYOD policy (Parsons, 2012). Investments for this project were made in network equipment and infrastructure, professional development, and management software systems. The school adopted Puentedura’s model of substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition (SAMR). This model has four phases in the use of technology: direct tool replacement, augmentation, transformation, and redefinition. Each stage moves progressively through the learning process. According to Parsons (2012), the BYOD policy enables a move to a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning (Parsons, 2012). While the devices are used across multiple subject areas, there are ways in which teachers have tailored the device for use in their specific subject area content. Math games are used for learning in math while Mind mapping tools have proven useful in both drama and English classes, and in physical education the devices are used for analysis of physical performance (Parsons, 2012). Reports from teachers confirm that student collaboration is easier and staff collaboration more relevant and useful (Parsons, 2012).
An article written by Nathan Evans (2014) entitled “To BYOD or not to BYOD” discusses how keeping pace with unprecedented levels of technological advancement is one of the greatest challenges that schools face now. With so many students owning personal devices and being so accustomed to accessing those devices for information, it is almost un-natural to ask them to accept traditional school resources. Keeping the school’s technology upgraded is very expensive so BYOD implementation is a way to address this issue. Not having to maintain or support hardware will certainly reduce the school’s expenses. Another advantage of BYOD implementation does not have to deal with banning personal devices in the school.
Support for F/OSS
More and more schools are using F/OSS with administrative staff, teachers, as well as in the classroom due to limited budgets and cutbacks in school districts across the U. S. The F/OSS that was selected for this study by James Vajda and Jason Abbitt (2011) is OpenOffice suite. This type of software can be downloaded, distributed, shared, modified, and redistributed without licensing or other costs for obtaining, installing, or using the software (Vajda & Abbitt, 2011). This software is very similar to Microsoft Office in performance and capabilities, and it is compatible with multiple operating systems includes Windows, Mac OSC, and Linux (Vajda et al., 2011). This mixed method study is an evaluation of a pilot implementation of OpenOffice with a K-12 school district in Ohio (Vajda et al., 2011). The decision to implement OpenOffice would depend upon the results of the study. Participants in the study were volunteers who included six high school teachers, two middle school teachers, and nine elementary school teachers (Vajda et al., 2011). Over a four-week period, 11 of the original 17 participants completed the study in the trial period (Vajda et al., 2011). All data for the study was submitted and approved by the Institutional Review Board. Before the participants began using OpenOffice, they completed a Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ). There were two voluntary training sessions offered to the participants with only two participants attending. After using OpenOffice for week one and week four, participants completed another survey. Interviews with participants were also conducted individually. Due to the small sample size of the study, analysis of the quantitative data was inadequate and limited to descriptive statistics and nonparametric deducible analyses (Vajda et al., 2011). Interview results and the open-ended questions were examined using content analysis methods to reveal common themes during the interviews. Seven participants thought that tasks performance of OpenOffice was equivalent to Microsoft Office. Two users of OpenOffice had a negative opinion of the software. Regarding Quality of Interface, an analysis using Mann-Whitney U test found no significant differences between Microsoft Office and OpenOffice (Vajda et al., 2011). Overall usability of Microsoft Office and OpenOffice was analyzed using the Mann-Witney U test which found no significant difference in the software. Interview responses revealed that OpenOffice on PowerPC-based Apple computers were very slow starting up (Vajda et al., 2011). Two more problems were revealed during the interview: (a) interactive use with whiteboard did not perform well with OpenOffice presentation application, and (b) Clipart gallery was not as extensive on OpenOffice as was with Microsoft Office (Vajda et al., 2011). In the end, the conclusion was that OpenOffice would be accepted as a replacement for Microsoft Office. The issue with a slow start up for OpenOffice was ultimately the result of an older PowerPC computer with an older version of Java. The startup issue was resolved on the newer Intel-based Apple and Windows-based computers. Schools contemplating using OpenOffice would benefit from examining their support structure. Most F/OSS does not have the online support system in place as the typical commercial software. The small study was intentional for this school district and meant to not interrupt ongoing school-related activities and functions; however, the same problems using OpenOffice would be expected to occur in a larger study.
An article written by John Waters (2010) discusses how F/OSS helped a school district near Seattle, WA, save thousands of dollars that they then turned around and spent on professional development for their teachers. The Apache web server is a software program that works with web pages and web browser. It is very popular with school districts. Moodle is another OSS that has been integrated into schools. Moodle is a replacement for Blackboard and with its popularity and successful implementation has led school districts to look at using more OSS. Audacity (free audio recorder and editor) is popular with students to record podcasts and student speeches, promote language learning, add sounds to presentations, and create soundtracks for animations (Waters, 2010). Other apps that are recommended in educational software are: GeoGebra, Stellariu, iTalc, GIMP, FreeMind, and Zimbra (Waters, 2010). Michigan City Area Schools in Michigan City, IN, opened two new elementary schools and loaded classrooms with OSS (Waters, 2010). According to their IT director, 95% of the software used in the two schools is OSS (Waters, 2010). According to the article, OpenOffice is used in many school districts across the country saving money for each district.
Pros to using 1-to-1 in a learning environment
The article by David Parsons (2012) that researched the project to integrate 1-to-1 devices into the 9th grade classroom extended into 2013 resulting in the project to including all grades. Parsons (2012) stated that in addition to the transformations of classroom practice, there are evolutionary changes in the ways that learning spaces may be utilized. The BYOD implementation makes it possible to move toward a more student-centered approach to teaching and learning. The use of the 1-to-1 digital device can be used in any subject area. For example, in science class, photos of various stages of experiments can be easily uploaded to for added visual images to enhance a report or study. Across the curriculum, collaboration, digital skills, and information literacy are common themes of integrating one-to-one devices (Parsons, 2012, p. 3). According to Parsons (2012), these lessons and activities are transformative, enhancing the learning process.
According to the article entitled “BYOD Strategies” (2012), the tech staff at New Canaan Public Schools knew that students would bring in their cell phones, so they created an open environment to support that. In 2011, 35% of the students used their own devices and by 2012, the percentage was up to 45%. Some of the discussion in the school is about equity for all students and are against BYOD programs. However, this school has seen a positive relationship for the special education students that have assistive devices. Now the special education students do not feel like they are singled since other students are now bringing in their devices.
Challenges to using 1-to-1 in a learning environment
In an article written by Michael Grant and Michael Barbour (2013), they describe two projects to integrate mobile teaching and learning into K-12 schooling. The two projects discussed are consideration for the increased use of mobile devices in schools and the growth of K-12 online learning. More relevant to this paper, they discuss challenges of integrating mobile learning in K-12. Many administrators see these devices as potential problems that may overshadow their usefulness as an educational tool. One of the expressed concerns was that school districts are reluctant to implementing BYOD programs due to regulations associated with the internet and the protection of children, because smart phones and cell phones may use cell networks that could bypass the school’s network (Grant & Barbour, 2013). The second project discussed in the article discussed using iPads along with BYOD in a chemistry classroom. The apps (3D Cell, VCell, Mobl21) used for this lesson discussed in the article were loaded on the iPads as well as the personal devices that students brought into the class. The teacher began the class using mLCMS Mobl2 while demonstrating the lesson using QR Reference and a document camera to project his iPad screen to the class (Grant et al., 2012). The students completed several activities and finally a quiz using their devices and preloaded apps. Both teacher and students felt that the integration of the devices was successful due to the engagement of the students during the lessons. “The teacher felt the potential use of the iPad as a classroom device was limited at present” (Grant et al., 2013, p. 3). The teacher expressed concern over the cost and care of the iPads by the students. The largest concern about the potential use of these devices was ensuring a 1-to-1 student-to-device ratio (Grant et al., 2012). All of the teachers in this pilot study project felt without this student ratio, the probable success of the integration of these devices would be limited.
Pros to using F/OSS in a learning environment
The article entitled “Blending Student Technology Experiences in Formal and Informal Learning,” the authors discuss the significance of identifying students’ technology-enhanced informal learning experiences and expand instruction to connect students’ formal and informal learning experiences, in order to meet the demands of the knowledge society (Lai, Khaddage & Knezek, 2013). The Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning model (MBCL) is proposed as a model to bridge the gap (Lai et al., 2013). Using three tools of mobile applications can enhance collaboration, coordination and communication to provide for valuable learning methods in the classroom. Below, Lai et al. propose the MCBL model as a step towards conceiving the use of mobile applications to connect the weakness of the formal learning pedagogies with the strengths of the informal learning pedagogies and vice versa. F/OSS provides applications that allow these technologies to open up new ways for students to learn. Applications for collaboration (such as Google Docs) can be used for sharing documents and files among students and teachers both in class and outside normal class hours (Lai et al., 2013). Applications for classroom management and announcements (such as Twitter) can be used to notify students regarding class assignments. Applications for building community-based learning activities (such as Facebook or Google+) can be used for communications, discussions, and sharing among students outside the normal classroom setting. According to Lai et al., in order for this connection between formal and informal learning, there are infrastructural issues that need to be addressed, instigating a 1-to-1 computing initiative or BYOD model adopted.
Figure 1 Mobile-Blended Collaborative Learning model
Figure 1. The model represents how mobile apps are being used.
Challenges with using F/OSS in a learning environment
“Tim Goree, director of technology services for Norris School District, Bakersfield, CA, estimated that it takes at least three years for a school district to become a "self-supporting open source IT department," even with help from an outside firm” (Wanchek, 2010, p. 1). The district was currently using Macs. In preparation for a transition to OSS, his first decision was to start using Zimbra for email services. Goree proposed putting $300 Linux-based computers instead of the more costly Macs based on a teacher survey and the programs they currently used. At the time the survey was conducted, teachers were using their computers for Web/Internet applications, light word processing and presentations (Wanchek, 2010). One-hundred five student computers were purchased for the new schools. As more schools needed new computers, Goree continued purchasing a version of the Linux. However, for the teachers and computer labs, the district continued to purchase Macs that were high-end systems to use for video or photo editing. The challenge with the Linux system was the lower processing speeds which limited their use of OSS. The school did transition to OpenOffice because the Linux system does not work with Microsoft Office. After a few more projects with Revolution Linux, Goree says that he expects that his will be an "open source shop" that can implement OSS projects without outside assistance (Wanchek, 2010). The district is comprised of 3500 students with a total of five schools in K–8.
Two other school districts, one in San Antonio and one in Michigan City Schools in Indiana, converted to Open Source. Both districts agree that there were savings for their school districts. However, one issue in San Antonio was two programs they wanted to integrate, B2evolution and WordPress, did not take off, partly owing to account management with 3,000 teachers and 54,000 students (Wancheck, 2010). "We let these initiatives die because of support issues. If they had become popular, it would be overwhelming for a small staff”(Wancheck, 2010, p. 4). The Michigan City School district states that they are saving about $100,000 annually on licensing and they saved about $100,000 in hardware purchases. The IT director, Kevin McGuire, said that he realized he needed to purchase desktops for under $300 for their desired 1-to-1 initiative. The district hired Revolution Linux to change the infrastructure to Open Source. Since there is little support with OSS, the teachers have to learn the new software as they go. Also, two of the programs they had used, Scholastic Read 180 and Scientific Learning Fast ForWord, would not work on the Linux system.